Industry News

Online Gambling Isolated Ahead Of EU Integrity Vote

04/03/2009: Representatives from European casino, lotteries and pari-mutuel associations have publicly supported a controversial MEP report on online gambling likely to be formally adopted by the European parliament next week. The report’s author also countered charges of a perceived pro-state monopoly bias at a seminar in Brussels yesterday, as lobbying surrounding the report continues to intensify

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European Commission Applies Pressure To Italy, Greece

24/02/2009: The EU’s executive body has threatened to fine Italy over its delayed retendering of 329 horserace betting licences, while the Commission has also begun a formal investigation into part state-owned gambling monopoly OPAP’s role in the awarding of a technology contract in Greece

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European Legal Perspectives – Christel Schaldemose

23/02/2009: The progress of an own-initiative report on online gambling, overseen by the European parliament’s Internal Markets Committee and authored by Danish MEP Christel Schaldemose, has galvanised lobbying efforts by both private and monopoly operators, but it has also depth-charged unexpected levels of concern by MEPs about gambling legislation in Europe. In this exclusive interview with GamblingCompliance, Schaldemose describes the motivations behind the report and her expectations of its next stages

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EU Committee Adopts ‘Prejudiced’ Online Gambling Report

12/02/2009: A controversial MEP report on online gambling, which was recently accused of being severely prejudiced against the legitimacy of the industry by a senior figure at the UK’s Gambling Commission, was formally adopted by an EU Internal Market committee yesterday ahead of a full vote in the European Parliament in early March.

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ESSA Follows Olympic Betting Oversight With US Expansion

11/02/2009: After finding no concerns at the Beijing Olympics, the systematic monitoring of online sports betting to detect suspicious activity made further progress in recent weeks as the European Sports Security Association (ESSA) signed new cooperation agreements with governing bodies including US professional hockey’s NHL.

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bwin is Founding Sponsor of The Transparency Project

10/02/2009: bwin is the founding sponsor of The Transparency Project, the world’s first ever public data repository for privately-funded datasets related to addictive behavior. The project is an initiative of the Division on Addictions, Cambridge Health Alliance, a Teaching Affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Its purpose is to make data available to scientists so that they can advance the available empirical evidence and knowledge base about addiction.

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MEP’s Online Gambling Report Draws 149 Amendments

26/01/2009: A controversial own-initiative report by Danish MEP Christel Schaldemose on the integrity of online gambling has attracted a raft of changes from political interests across the European gambling world, setting the scene for a lively debate when the bill is discussed next month.

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MEP Report Sparks Sports Betting Levy Push

12/12/2008: In the closing months of this European Parliamentary session an MEP has added her contribution to the debate over online gambling regulation with an own-initiative report. Nevertheless the report has quickly become the focus of intensive lobbying efforts by sporting groups to bolster their intellectual property rights and impose a compulsory levy on gambling operators.

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Norwegian MPs Approve Gambling Payments Prohibition

10/12/2008: While MPs have now finally backed plans to forcibly prohibit Norwegian banks from processing financial transactions connected to offshore gaming websites, observers believe the ban will not come into full effect until mid-2009, as financial institutions continue to lobby for further regulatory guidance from the government.

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EU Council Passes On Gambling Regulation

02/12/2008: The Council of the European Union yesterday discussed gambling policy for the first time at the request of the French Presidency, but little progress was made with the issue. As economic storm clouds gather across Europe it now appears likely that the issue looks set to be sidelined for the foreseeable future.

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